A sweet call suddenly ca from the alley entrance.
Chen Long paused, then turned and walked toward the girl.
ng Qianqian stepped forward to chase.
"Brother!"
The girl laughed and called again.
ng Qianqian clenched her fists; if only he had another younger sister...
Chen Long brushed past the girl.
A young scholar quickly approached the alley carrying a box of freshly baked pastries and spoke to the girl, "I told you to wait for in the shop, didn’t I?"
The girl chuckled, "I was worried you might get lost."
The scholar affectionately patted her head. "I stood in line for half an hour and finally got it. Here."
"Brother, you’re the best!"
The girl cheerfully took the pastry.
The siblings chatted and laughed as they left.
ng Qianqian stood in the alley, crying and laughing alternately.
What was she thinking?
How could her brother recognize another as his sister just because she had died?
Lin Wan’er pretending to be the Pri Minister’s daughter wouldn’t happen to Chen Long—he was a man wise and composed enough.
Confirming that he was alive made ng Qianqian happy, but the thought of never being able to recognize him in this lifeti saddened her.
"If I can’t recognize you as a sibling, then let beco one of the Twelve Guards whom you acknowledge."
ng Qianqian wiped away her tears with a smile, determined to practice harder.
When ng Qianqian returned to Feng Shui Alley, Bao Shu and the neglectful father, exhausted after their quarrel, were slumped drowsily at the stone table in the courtyard. Bao Shu’s tiny head bobbed up and down like a pecking chick.
"Won’t you carry her?"
ng Qianqian asked Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan shrugged innocently, "She won’t let ."
ng Qianqian picked up Bao Shu.
Bao Shu glanced up at her, then obediently nestled into her arms and fell asleep.
Lu Yuan noticed her reddened eyes, scanned her briefly from head to toe, saw no injuries, and said expressionlessly, "You saw him?"
ng Qianqian nodded, carrying the dozing Bao Shu out of Ji Li Courtyard: "It was Chen Long."
Lu Yuan continued, "Did you recognize each other?"
ng Qianqian’s eyelid twitched. While contemplating how her bond with Chen Long might be revealed, she suddenly realized Lu Yuan was asking about recognition between Twelve Guards comrades—she was Little Yin Hu, after all, part of the sa group.
She was worrying too much.
Lu Yuan might suspect her origins, but he couldn’t possibly guess she had died once before.
ng Qianqian replied, "No."
Lu Yuan asked, "Then why are you crying?"
ng Qianqian: "It’s nothing."
"Hmph, suit yourself."
Lu Yuan folded his hands behind his back and strode away.
Entering the Governor Mansion, ng Qianqian carried Bao Shu to the Tinglan Courtyard.
Steward Cen grinned as he approached Lu Yuan: "Out for a stroll with the Marchioness again? It seems she’s the most resourceful; staying cooped up inside all the ti might make you sick!"
Lu Yuan frowned and asked, "What does it an when a woman cries for a man?"
Steward Cen looked surprised: "Crying? Who cried? The Marchioness?"
Lu Yuan stated, "Just answer the question!"
Steward Cen thoughtfully replied, "A woman crying for a man is either about kinship or affection. The first is easy to understand—family mbers see each other and get overly emotional. If it’s about affection, though, that’s troubleso, tied to unrequited love, sleepless nights... ’The fondness awaited at that mont, yet fleeting in its ti’... or ’Once a maiden enters the Marquis’s gates, her lover becos a stranger forever’..."
Lu Yuan’s glare turned sharp.
Steward Cen cleared his throat and solemnly added, "Or maybe she was just scared by his ugliness."
Lu Yuan left with a cold face.
Steward Cen gave himself a slap: "Out of all people to mimic, why emulate Shangguan Ling’s sharp tongue?"
Deep in thought about Chen Long, ng Qianqian tossed and turned in bed at night, unable to sleep.
anwhile, Lu Yuan sat in his study reading, ears attuned to the noise from the next room. Steward Cen’s words about "unrequited love and sleepless nights" flashed through his mind, darkening his expression.
The next day, Liu Changsheng ca to the Governor Mansion and inford ng Qianqian that soone was causing trouble at his shop on East Street. Though he reported them to the authorities, the culprits seed to have powerful backing—the governnt officers didn’t detain them but surrounded his shop instead.
Since Liu Changsheng converted his shop into a matchmaking teahouse, business had bood, naturally earning him rivals’ jealousy.
But Liu Changsheng had always handled disturbances effectively, driving troublemakers away.
For him to co to the Governor Mansion for instructions ant the situation had reached a critical point.
"Let’s go; I’ll take a look."
ng Qianqian wanted to see if soone had succumbed to jealousy or taken advantage of the Governor Mansion’s declining status to kick them while they were down.
Only upon eting the guest in the private room did she realize she’d entirely misjudged.
"Greetings, Princess Wanping."
ng Qianqian courteously bowed.
Princess Wanping lounged in a Huangli Wood armchair—clearly not from the shop, suggesting her servants had personally carried it upstairs.
ng Qianqian couldn’t help but think of Lu Yuan, who always brought his own chair and charcoal wherever he went.
Was Princess Wanping imitating her admirer’s behavior?
Her attire—pink pleated skirt, overlaid with white gold-threaded pipa-collar gauze—gave off a faintly glowing elegance. Her lithe figure complented the ensemble, her hair styled in a light Returning Heart bun adorned with jade flowers and pearl headbands rather than golden ornants, seemingly to evoke a youthful air of grace and charm.
Her delicate makeup featured brows like distant green mountains and lips like stained vermilion.
Objectively speaking, Princess Wanping was beautiful, and her fashion choices didn’t feel out of place.
Princess Wanping’s voice ca leisurely: "Making wait—you certainly have quite the air of importance."
Look at that—every word echoed Lu Yuan’s style.
ng Qianqian calmly said, "Princess Wanping caused such a commotion just to force out of hiding. Little Nine has arrived, so shouldn’t the governnt officers outside disperse?"
Princess Wanping raised her fingers to admire her freshly painted nails. "That depends on whether you know to play along or not."
ng Qianqian responded indifferently, "What do you an?"
Princess Wanping said contemptuously, "I’m not going to beat around the bush. Leave Lu Yuan—either file for divorce yourself, or let Lu Yuan send you a repudiation letter. I’ll find you another ideal husband, and I’ll even cover the dowry silver."
ng Qianqian’s smile faded. "Princess Wanping, are you commanding ?"
Princess Wanping retorted, "What if I am?"
ng Qianqian replied coolly, "May I ask, Princess Wanping, what right do you have to ddle in my affairs?"
Thinking ng Qianqian was negotiating terms, Princess Wanping said, "I’ll request an ennoblent from my father and grant you a Commandery Princess title, plus ten thousand gold taels and a thousand acres of pri farmland. This ought to satisfy you, shouldn’t it? I advise you not to be greedy; upsetting might leave you not even a copper coin!"
ng Qianqian sneered: "A re Commandery Princess title? My husband’s beauty rivals Pan An’s, making him the most handso man in the world. Shouldn’t you trade your own title and entire fortune instead?"
Princess Wanping’s tone hardened: "ng Qianqian, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a penalty! Are you aware of the current situation? My father and the Pri Minister have returned to court and plan reforms; Lu Yuan will be the first target. I’m the only one who can save him now!"
She thought that wasn’t impactful enough and turned her scorn on ng Qianqian directly. "Don’t think I’m unaware of your sordid affairs. If not for covering the Governor Mansion’s sses behind the scenes, the scandal of your ties to the Marchioness of Marquis An Yuan would’ve spread throughout the capital!"
So it was Princess Wanping who silenced rumors after Yu Family and Marquis An Yuan Mansion’s servant staged a scene.
ng Qianqian said, "So you’re acting in consideration for my husband?"
Princess Wanping raised her chin high: "Naturally—no one in this world cares for him more than !"
Last ti in the Imperial Palace, she tried so hard to conceal her feelings, but now she unabashedly exposed them in front of ng Qianqian.
ng Qianqian sighed softly: "Princess Wanping, I appreciate your kindness on behalf of my husband, but it’s sufficient for to accompany him through his trials."
Princess Wanping mocked: "Do you think you’re sothing extraordinary—achieving rit at the border? Compared to the Pri Minister and his Strategist, you’re insignificant!"
ng Qianqian feigned shock: "Princess Wanping, I am one of the Twelve Guards. Could the Pri Minister’s side boast soone mightier than the Twelve Guards?"
Princess Wanping declared proudly: "Let enlighten you. Chen Long, one of the Twelve Guards, has been adopted as the Pri Minister’s foster son. You’re just newly added; you’re not even qualified to carry his shoes!"
ng Qianqian frowned slightly.
So Chen Long really beca the foster son of the Pri Minister.
Strange—what was going on here? Why would Chen Long agree to be adopted?
Looks like she needs to find Chen Long again for answers.
Seeing ng Qianqian lost in thought, Princess Wanping smirked sarcastically: "Realizing your insignificance now? If you’re smart, leave the Governor Mansion as far and fast as possible, never to appear before Lu Yuan again!"
ng Qianqian paused, then pouted mischievously: "The Pri Minister is impressive, but that doesn’t make you impressive. Why are you flaunting borrowed feathers like they’re command tokens?"
Before, Princess Wanping would’ve scolded ng Qianqian for her audacity.
But now, instead of anger, she laughed, as if waiting for ng Qianqian to give her an opportunity to brag.
"The Pri Minister gifted Chen Long, assigning him as my guard."
No wonder she was so full of confidence—she wasn’t just here to claim Lu Yuan but to flaunt her acquisition of Chen Long as well.
What a lavish gesture by the Pri Minister—to casually hand over one of the Twelve Guards, coveted by both Consort Li and the Emperor.
Of course, Princess Wanping would want to show off. Anyone would.
Co to think of it, even surrendering a Twelve Guard suggested unparalleled loyalty.
For the first ti, ng Qianqian sympathized with Lu Yuan.
Hold on—this detail wasn’t entirely bad news.
She had been worrying about how to get closer to Chen Long, and now the opportunity presented itself on a silver platter.
ng Qianqian smiled: "Princess Wanping, why don’t we make a bet? If you win, I’ll belong to you. If I win, Chen Long will belong to ."
Princess Wanping scoffed: "Why would I want you?"
ng Qianqian laughed. "If I beco yours, you can do with as you like—whether killing or cutting, it’ll be up to you."
Princess Wanping considered, then coldly remarked: "Your life ans nothing to . I want Lu Yuan!"
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